# 119-hr-5081: Telehealth Modernization Act

119-hr-5081, Telehealth Modernization Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-31).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5081
- As of: 2026-10-31
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5081
- Congress: 119
- Title: Telehealth Modernization Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-09-02
- Sponsor: Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA)
- Cosponsors: 9
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-31

## Summary

**Extends and expands Medicare telehealth flexibilities.** This bill would keep and broaden temporary telehealth authorities while adding program integrity checks, required guidance, and follow-up studies to improve access and quality of remote care.

## Cosponsors (9)

- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2025-09-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] (D-NC), 2025-09-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] (D-MA), 2025-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16] (D-CA), 2025-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32] (D-TX), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4] (D-MD), 2026-10-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Riley, Josh [D-NY-19] (D-NY), 2025-12-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Conaway, Herbert C. [D-NJ-3] (D-NJ), 2025-12-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-07-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Medicare telehealth rules extended to 2027: benefit, high. If enacted, key Medicare telehealth flexibilities would run through September 30, 2027. You could keep using audio‑only visits where allowed. More types of clinicians could treat you by telehealth, and your location would not limit coverage. The in‑person visit rule for tele‑mental health would be…
- At-home heart rehab by video only: benefit, medium. If enacted, Medicare would allow heart and lung rehab at home by live video from September 30, 2025 to December 31, 2026. Audio‑only calls would not count. Your doctor or other clinicians could supervise by video.
- Hospital care at home through 2030: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Medicare hospital‑at‑home program would run through 2030. Hospitals could keep giving acute hospital‑level care in your home when appropriate.
- Online Diabetes Prevention Program 2026-2030: benefit, medium. If enacted, from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2030, organizations could offer an online‑only Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program. You could enroll more than once in that period and join from any state. Suppliers would still need to meet Medicare enrollment rules.
- Telehealth help for limited-English patients: benefit, medium. If enacted, HHS would issue guidance within one year to help people with limited English use telehealth. It would cover using interpreters, multi‑person video for interpretation, easier portal access, and translated materials. The guidance would be shared with providers, insurers, and tech and lang…
- Hospice telehealth recert visits extended: mixed, medium. If enacted, telehealth could be used for the hospice face‑to‑face recertification visit through September 30, 2027. Starting September 30, 2025, this would not apply in areas with a hospice enrollment freeze, for hospices under special oversight, or when the clinician is not enrolled and not an opt…
- Stronger Medicare checks on medical equipment: mixed, medium. If enacted, Medicare would add new fraud checks for durable medical equipment and prosthetics starting January 1, 2028. Items with unusual billing, like many orders from a doctor who has not provided you any Medicare‑paid care in the past 24 months, could face review before payment. This could slow…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hres-1641: Honoring the contributions of Indian Americans and supporting the designation of July as "Indian American Heritage Month".
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-5081 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5081)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hres-1641: Honoring the contributions of Indian Americans and supporting the designation o…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-1641)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-3277: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3277)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5081 (as of 2026-10-31).